Muni service put back on track

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By Sept. 4, Muni will restore half of its recent service cuts, meaning more than 40 lines are set to receive some sort of enhancement from their current offerings.

In May, Muni cut 10 percent of its overall transit service as a way to save the cash-strapped San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency about $29 million a year. After widespread outrage about the move, the board of directors for the SFMTA, which operates Muni, voted Tuesday to restore half those reductions.

The board’s decision was contingent on the SFMTA receiving funding from two agencies — the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, which is governed by The City’s Board of Supervisors, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Area’s lead transit-planning body. Collectively, the SFMTA has sought $11 million from the two groups, which it will use to help pay for the -restorations.

Both transit groups have -indicated they’ll dispense the money, which will help restore late-night Muni service, alleviate overcrowding on busy lines and extend the run times of community and local buses.

Initially, there was some speculation that the SFMTA would restore the full 10 percent of reductions by 2011. However, barring an unforeseen funding allocation, that forecast seems unlikely.

"We’re relying on one-time money," said Cameron Beach, one of four SFMTA board members who supported the service restoration Tuesday. "I want to make it clear that this service change, or addition back, will be the only one until July of 2012. The money just isn’t there."